1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of playing card delivery systems, and particularly dealing shoes that mask all card backs, and only after manually driven delivery of playing cards is any back surface of a playing card disclosed without masking of the card back.
2. Background of the Art
Playing cards are used in many social and entertainment games, and are most often used in casinos in casino table wagering games. It is important to the fairness of the games that pre-knowledge of the cards is not available to players. Numerous illegal efforts are made to give individuals or players an unfair advantage by marking or daubing playing cards with marks on backs or edges of playing cards that indicate the rank and/or suit of cards. Most of these techniques are overcome by careful inspection of playing cards, even by mechanical/electromagnetic imaging means, as in U.S. Pat. No. 8,969,802 and Published US Patent Application Publication No. 20140347471 (Blazevic).
It has been known for some time that when playing cards are cut from sheet with patterned backs, the cuts were unevenly placed on the patterns, and the relative position on the cuts could be read over time as indicative of the position of the card on the original sheet, which in turn was indicative of the rank and/or suit of the card's face.
To overcome this issue, a white border was expanded around the sections on the back pattern relatively corresponding to the expected position of the card values on the front side of the card faces. Because printing alignment is not perfect, distances from edges across the white borders also varies sufficiently as to offer similar pre-knowledge of rank and suit values from the backs of playing cards as the edges extend out of the dealer's shoe.
It has become desirable to find a better way of preventing early viewing of the backs of playing cards as they are dealt that might enable preview of card ranks.
Published US Patent Application Nos. 20150265909 and 20090054161 (Schubert) and U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,777,710 and 8,070,574 (Grauzer) discloses a playing card delivery shoe used in the play of the casino table card game of blackjack. The shoe may include an area for receiving a first set of playing cards, a first card mover that moves playing cards from the first set of playing cards to a playing card staging area, a second playing card mover that moves playing cards from the playing card staging area to a delivery area, and playing card-reading sensors that read at least one playing card value of each playing card separately after each playing card has been removed from the area for receiving the first set of playing cards and before removal from the playing card delivery area. A processor analyzes the data and displays certain game-related data on a display device. Methods of providing cards to a dealer in a casino table card game of blackjack are disclosed.
Published US Patent Application No. 20140327208 (Grauzer) discloses card-handling devices including a card-holding area and a card output shoe. The card output shoe includes a card-way for passage of cards from the card-holding area into a dealing-ready area. A movable gate is positioned between the card-way and the dealing-ready area to prevent cards in the dealing-ready area from re-entering the card-way. Card shufflers include a gate mounted to allow movement of randomized groups of cards from card-receiving compartments to proximate a terminal end plate of a card output shoe and to block movement of cards in an opposite direction. In related methods of moving cards, card movement through the card-way to the dealing-ready position is allowed by a movable gate and card movement from the dealing-ready position into the card-way is prevented by the movable gate.
Published US Patent Application No. 20120091656 (Blaha) discloses card handling systems including shuffling devices, shoe devices, and a card transfer system for automatically transferring cards from the shuffling device into the shoe device. Shuffling devices may include a divider configured to contact at least one card positioned within a compartment of the shuffling device. Shoe devices may include a card loading system for loading cards into a card storage area through an opening in a base of the shoe device. Methods of providing cards during a casino table game play include identifying card information including a rank and a suit of each card in a shuffling device and a shoe device and transporting cards from the shuffling device to the shoe device.
Published US Patent Application No. 20110198805 (Downs III) discloses a playing card delivery shoe that is used in the play of the casino table card game of baccarat or blackjack or any game where cards are pulled one at a time from the shoe. The apparatus comprises a reader or an imager that scans lines bisecting the image at spaced intervals. The scanning occurs on playing cards in at least the region where suit and rank symbols are provided. The scanner output is a series of voltages that are converted to binary information. This binary information is compared to stored binary information to determine rank and suit. The upper surface of the output end of the shoe contains a partial barrier for cards being scanned. The partial barrier has an elevated surface and limits a size of a pathway so that only one card can be removed at a time.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,743 (Nicoletti) describes the use of a mechanical card dispensing means to advance cards at least part way out of the shoe. The described invention is for a dispenser for playing cards comprising: a shoe adapted to contain a plurality of stacked playing cards, the playing cards including a leading card and a trailing card; the shoe including a back wall, first and second side walls, a front wall, a base, and an inclined floor extending from the back wall to proximate the front wall and adapted to support the playing cards; the floor being inclined downwardly from the back wall to the front wall; the front wall having an opening and otherwise being adapted to conceal the leading card; and the front wall, side walls, base and floor enclosing a slot positioned adjacent the floor, the slot being sized to permit a playing card to pass through the slot; card advancing means contacting the trailing card and adapted to urge the stacked cards down the inclined floor; card dispensing means positioned proximate the front wall and adapted to dispense a single card at a time.
Published US Patent Application No. 20100213668 (Dickinson) discloses an automatic card shuffler includes a card input unit, card ejection unit, card separation and delivery unit and card collection unit. A card ejection unit ejects cards in a singular fashion from a stack of cards placed into the input unit. The ejected cards are passed through a dynamic de-doubler that prevents more than a pre-established number of cards from passing through. The dynamic de-doubler is able to shift positions to accommodate card that are bent, impacted by environmental conditions and otherwise worn. The cards are ejected to a stop arm maintaining the entrance to the card separation unit. Upon processor command, the stop arm raises to allow a plurality of cards to pass under to the card separation and delivery unit. A series of rotating belts and rollers act to separate the cards and propel them individually to the collection unit. A floating gate slightly forward of the stop arm dictates that a minimum number of cards are managed simultaneously. The shuffler is controlled by a processing unit in communication with multiple internal sensors.
Published US Patent Application Nos. 20200213667 and 20050012269 (Grauzer) discloses a distinct dealing shoe having no shuffling functionality receives shuffled, randomized or ordered group of cards. The cards may be mechanically moved one at a time from a receiving area for the deck to a buffer area where more than one card is temporarily stored. The cards in the buffer area are then mechanically moved to a card delivery area where the cards may be manually removed, one-at-a-time, by a dealer. The cards are read one-at-a-time inside of the dealing shoe, either before the buffer area or after leaving the buffer area, but preferably before the cards are being manually removed from the card delivery area. The information from the card reading may be used for game tracking, hand tracking, player information, and other security issues at casino table card games.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,082 (Greenberg) discloses a Monte Verde card dispenser of shoe that simulates a card shoe containing a playing card deck or near infinite length. The card dispenser includes a rotary carousel containing a plurality of card carrying compartments around the periphery thereof. The cards area injected with the carousel from the input hopper and ejected from the carousel into an output hopper for use by the dealer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,142 (Warren) discloses an apparatus for dealing cards at a casino gaming table. The apparatus, or dealer shoe, has a base and a card roller.
The base holds a deck or decks of cards while in use. The card roller is movably connected to the base and applies a downward pressure on the cards in the base so that they may be removed from the base. The card roller is moved into a resting place within the base when cards are removed to be shuffled, facilitating removal and insertion of the cards. By resting in the base, the card roller is protected from damage.
These technologies are not considered the best or most cost-effective solutions to the present issues, but are all incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.